South Bank Colleges, London
South Bank Colleges is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
South Bank Colleges in detail
South Bank Colleges in its own words
In its own words: "South Bank Colleges, comprising Lambeth College and London South Bank Technical College was judged as 'GOOD' following the Ofsted inspection in March 2025, maintaining the 'GOOD' grade it was awarded in March 2022."
From the headteacher's welcome: "South Bank Colleges within Clapham, Brixton and our London South Bank Technical College in Nine Elms, sit at the very heart of our community in south London. We were judged as a 'GOOD' college following our last Ofsted inspection in January 2025."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama and coding.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Lambeth
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 484 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 9% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 20% into work. 1% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Clapham Common, about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Clapham Common, 180 metres away.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
South Bank Colleges excels at helping learners from all backgrounds gain confidence and progress to their next steps. Adult learners, many newly arrived in the UK, receive comprehensive ESOL teaching that combines English with valuable maths, digital and employability skills. Young people receive high-quality support and teaching that prepares them well for their chosen industries, whether through vocational courses, T levels or supported internships.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional progress and outcomes for adult learners, with very high proportions moving into higher education or employment
- Strong inclusive culture where learners from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed, safe and valued
- Well-structured curriculum planning that builds learner knowledge and skills progressively over time
- Expert tutors who share real industry insights and link theory to practice
- Effective support and tailored curriculum for learners with high needs, including successful supported internships
Areas for Improvement
- Apprenticeships require improvement - too many do not achieve qualifications in a timely way due to previous staffing issues
- Too few learners achieve grade 4 or above in GCSE English and mathematics
- Information technology provision needs stronger employer involvement in curriculum design and more exposure to the world of work
- Inconsistent quality of teaching for apprentices, with some experiencing delayed assessment of their work
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - learners feel safe and valued in a strong culture of inclusion where staff foster understanding of diversity at all levels.
Extracurricular Activities
Supported internships in local hospital, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), technical training centres
South Bank Colleges is a general further education college in South London with three campuses serving around 8,650 learners from entry level to level 4 across ESOL, vocational, and technical subjects. The college is rated Good overall, with Outstanding adult learning programmes.
About
South Bank Colleges is a further education college in the London Borough of Lambeth. It was formed in 1992, initially as Lambeth College, from three former institutions – Vauxhall College of Building and Further Education, Brixton College of Further Education, and South London College.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
c
Average grade
z
Best 3 A-Levels
z
Value added
2
A-Level students
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 484 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
1%
Top-third university
50%
Degree course
54%
Any L4+ destination
0%
Apprenticeships
Based on 101 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with South Bank Colleges
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 178
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 30
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 178 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 30 serious and 147 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
32 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lambeth is 142.5 (the median across 102 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Lambeth council
Places available
2,111
Applications
2,198
Got 1st preference
61.4%
Got preferred school
91.2%
All secondary applications across Lambeth council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(19)
Questions parents ask about South Bank Colleges
What is South Bank Colleges's Ofsted rating?
South Bank Colleges was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025.
What is the catchment area for South Bank Colleges?
No fixed boundary. When South Bank Colleges is oversubscribed, Lambeth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to South Bank Colleges?
Apply through Lambeth's coordinated admissions process, naming South Bank Colleges on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near South Bank Colleges?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 178 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 30 serious and 147 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 32 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lambeth is 142.5 (the median across 102 schools, same distance and years).
Where is South Bank Colleges?
South Bank Colleges is at 45 Clapham Common Southside, Clapham Common, London, SW4 9BL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)